Why use a real estate agent?

In a hot
property market many people assume they have the skills and knowledge to sell
their own property. After all, everything seems to be selling. So how hard can
it be?

But there
many advantages to using a qualified, experienced real estate agent when
selling your home or investment property. Here are seven of them:

Agents are professionals

Agents are professionals when it comes to selling property.
It’s what they do all day, every day. That means they know what’s likely to
work when it comes to selling your particular property and what might not.

Agents are bound by professional codes of conduct and local
State or Territory legislation to act honestly, fairly and professionally and to use their best efforts to
obtain the best possible purchase price for the vendor. So when you
employ an agent to sell your home they’re obliged to work in your best
interests.

Agents bring market
knowledge

Knowing the local market is crucial when you’re selling.An
agent can expertly assess the value of your home and give you a good indication
of what you can realistically expect to get for your prized asset. They can
also advise you on whether you’re likely to get the highest price by selling at auction, by tender or by private treaty.

They’ll know what your likely buyer looks like - eg whether
they’re a mature family, young professional, downsizer and so on - and help you
show it in the best light to appeal to them. They’ll give you expert advice on
how high you should to set the sale price or the auction reserve. They’ll also answer your questions such as when to sell and
explain the pros and cons of asking for - or accepting - pre-auction offers.

Agents give you an
independent perspective

You’ll no doubt have done your own research, watched local
sales, and have your own opinion but an expert opinion is extremely valuable.

Experienced agents have lived through many market trends, and
seen many more properties than you have. They bring an independent eye. They’ll
know where your property sits against the competition, and the obvious
strengths and weaknesses to enhance or improve upon in any sales campaign.

Agents can promote your
property widely

An agent will market and advertise
your property - online, in their shop window, in local press, and by letterbox
drops. They’ll also take care of most of
the other things required when selling your home. And the most popular property
websites with the highest traffic only accept listings from agents.

An agent will also take away a lot of the hassle, by
managing enquiries about your property, coordinating and attending open for
inspections, and following up with prospective buyers and warm leads on your behalf.

Agents have sales and negotiation skills

Marketing and advertising are only part of the equation.
Getting the best price is both an art and a science, regardless of whether
you’re selling your home by sale, auction or tender. You have to get the negotiation right - and a good real estate
agent is a good negotiator who should be able to facilitate the best price
possible for your home.

Agents are well
connected

A good real estate agent is well connected through the
community, knowledgeable about the local area, and generally has a database of
warm leads - people who may be looking for a home just like yours, even if
they’re not actively trawling online listings. In other words, they have access to the hidden market of
prospective buyers, as well as the visible one.

But they also have other contacts
on their books, not just buyers, who can come in handy. Need the letter box and
front fence fixed before you sell? Chances are they can recommend a few people
to quote. Need home staging, to hire furniture, or an interior designer’s
opinion? They’ll know someone. And an agent can often suggest reliable contacts for conveyancing, legal
and financial services. If you’re selling you’re probably also looking to buy. They can give you tips for this too.

Agents can take the
stress away from selling your home

Finally agents can take a lot of the pain of selling your home
away, by guiding you through the complexities of the sales process and all its
ins and outs. From early preparations to facilitating the actual sale of your
property and exchanging contracts. Using an agent takes away a layer of stress. You don’t have to
deal directly with the purchaser. You also have legal protection.

Finally, a good real estate agent is worth more than their
commission fee. They should save you time, stress and money and get you the best
sale price for your prized asset.

Agent
Select is a free and independent service
that helps consumers select the best performing real estate agent, and
negotiate the best terms to sell their property, anywhere in Australia. Agent
Select’s three step process provides you with a property report, compares sales
proposals from three local agents in a customised Agent Comparison Report, and
gives you complete freedom to appoint your chosen agent to sell your property
with confidence.